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Gerry Adams, leader of Northern Ireland's Sinn Fein party said in London Thursday that there is an opportunity for the deadlocked peace process to move on.
"We are hopeful the opportunity to press the peace process forward will be seized by all parties and by the British and Irish governments. British Prime Minister made it clear that is the only way forward. There's no way back, no reverse," he says after meeting with British Prime Minister Tony Blair in Downing Street in the afternoon.
During their meeting, Blair has made it clear that in his last term he wanted to see the completion of the Good Friday Agreement signed by all parties concerned in 1998. "It's encouraging," he said.
According to Adams, Sinn Fein is very clear about its mandates. "We are not naive. We've listened to what DUP (Democratic Unionist Party) has to say."
In a briefing to foreign press, Adams insisted more than once that his party is here to do "business" and will use its mandate "wisely". He added that in the coming short period "we'll see what progress can be made and that the governments can take their leadership roles."
Earlier on Thursday, DUP leader Ian Paisley also met Blair, and the meeting was "very helpful and in many ways encouraging."
However, Paisley told the press his party "will not share power with Sinn Fein because the latter cannot be trusted."
"They have had their chance and they have failed," he added.
Unlike Adams who sees no need in making a new deal regarding the future of Northern Ireland and wants the Good Friday Agreement implemented, Paisley reiterates there must be a "new start" in the political process and a new deal accordingly.
The leaders' meeting with Blair are viewed as efforts to break the political deadlock in Northern Ireland after the general election. Although both parties expect an active role by the two governments to push the peaceful process forward, Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain has said the British government would not get involved in "side deals".
"You can't solve this problem by side deals. You have to work together with all the partners involved," Hain said Wednesday in Dublin.
(Xinhua News Agency May 20, 2005)
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